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Category: Fly

  • Singapore switches VTL on-arrival testing to ART; reduces travel history requirements

    Singapore switches VTL on-arrival testing to ART; reduces travel history requirements

    On-arrival tests changed from PCR to ART; travel history requirements shortened to 7 days

    Singapore earlier this week announced a slew of changes to the way it manages its Covid-19 restrictions in Singapore, and along with it made some key changes to travel requirements as well.

    These changes are largely in a positive direction, including using cheaper testing requirements, and simplification of how it categorises source countries.

    Cheaper ART test for VTL on-arrival testing

    From 22 Feb 2022, VTL and Category I travellers will no longer need to perform an on-arrival PCR test. Instead, they will have up to 24 hours from their entry into Singapore to take a supervised self-swab ART at one of the testing centres (Combined Test Centres (CTCs) or Quick Test Centres (QTCs)) located across Singapore.

    Supervised testing centre

    In addition, the current enhanced testing regime requiring VTL travellers to take self-administered Antigen Rapid Test (ART) from Day 2 to Day 7 will also cease.

    This change will see travellers save at least S$110 on testing, further lowering the costs of travelling into Singapore.

    For those who were originally arriving on or after 22 Feb 2022 and booked a PCR test at Changi Airport through Changi Airport Safe Travel Concierge, you will be given a refund in the coming days, less a S$3 processing fee.

    Note that you will be required to self-isolate until you get a negative result on the ART test at the test centre, so it’s best to book early.

    No more testing requirements for transit passengers

    In another critical development, transit passengers are also no longer required to take any form of pre-departure tests from 22 Feb 2022 if they are transiting in Singapore.

    In tandem with the other adjustments to travel measures, CAAS will also be removing the pre-departure test requirements for all passengers transferring or transiting through Singapore. This will help reduce cost, improve convenience and enhance Singapore’s attractiveness as a transfer/transit hub.

    The changes will apply to all flights arriving in Singapore from 21 February 2022, 2359 hours (Singapore Time), regardless whether the flight is a designated VTL flight.

    CAAS

    Note that this waiver only applies for passengers who are booked on a single ticket through Changi Airport. If passengers self-connect (i.e. booked two separate tickets) and have to pass through immigration, the prevailing rules (whether VTL or non-VTL) will apply, including test and quarantine requirements.

    Previously, transit passengers are also required to produce a negative PCR or ART (only for Category I, II and III countries) test taken within two days before their flight. This has posed some challenges for some travellers, given the increasing number of countries – in particular European countries – that have completely done away with pre-departure tests.

    With the scrapping of the transit testing requirement from 22 Feb 2022, passengers flying through Changi Airport will no longer need to carry a test result, unless of course their final destination requires it. 

    Simplification of travel categories

    In addition to the changes in testing requirements when travelling to Singapore, the authorities have also simplified how it categorises countries when travelling to Singapore.

    The least restrictive Category I will remain as it is, and continue to enjoy quarantine-free entry into Singapore. Category I countries include China, Chinese territory of Macau, and Taiwan. Hong Kong has unfortunately been ‘demoted’ to Category II.

    Similar to VTL travellers, travellers from Category I countries will also no longer be required to take a PCR test on arrival, instead they will also be required to take a supervised ART at an approved test centre within 24 hours of arrival.

    Categories II, III, and IV will be combined into a single General Travel category. To this end, the SHN period for non-VTL travel from these countries will be standardised to 7 days, and can be taken at either a hotel of choice or a private residence.

    A new category, Restricted countries/regions, will be introduced to allow for imposition of stricter measures where necessary.

    Final thoughts

    These changes are definitely good developments, with travel to become less restrictive and cost prohibitive.

    The switch to post-arrival ART test from the current PCR testing regime is probably the most celebrated change; this alone will result in a S$110 savings, significant when travelling from a nearby country.

    However, one key hassle in this new arrangement is the requirement to visit a test centre after arrival, as well as the need to isolate until you have received your negative result.

    The simplification of the country categorisation, along with the shortening of travel history consideration (from 14 to 7 days) and the standardisation of SHN period is also another positive move. Travel today has been made complex, so any consolidation is always good news and easier to navigate.

    Regardless, these moves are another step to the reopening of Singapore as a travel hub, and opened up even more travel opportunities and options for Singapore residents, even as we continue to inch towards a semblance of normalcy for international travel once more.

  • Introduction: Of Banhofs and Bavarian sausages

    Introduction: Of Banhofs and Bavarian sausages

    Germany was never a top-of-mind destination personally. Despite having a good time in Berlin some years back, spending an extended period of time in the land of good beers and Christmas markets in the heart of winter wasn’t exactly my idea of fun.

    So how did I ended up spending close to three weeks in Germany? This trip was fraught with many twists and turns. Originally meant to be a part-Italy and part-Germany trip, the entire plan was thrown out of the window when Italy closed its doors to travellers planning to land directly from Singapore.

    Cologne

    There were some workaround ways possible, such as landing in a third country in EU and then travelling into Italy, but that proved too risky, so we decided to stay put in Germany fully.

    Even a full two weeks in Germany was not as easy as it seemed. Germany, like many other countries, have both federal and state governments, both of them responsible for different set of Covid-19 rules. One of the cities we were intending to visit, Dresden, was in the state of Saxony, which banned any form of tourism in late 2021. We only found out about this when the hotel wrote to us a week before the trip, asking that we cancel the reservation if we were planning to visit for holidays.

    Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof. At this stage, it was clear to me that I was faitgued with trip planning, and all I’m reading was yet another set of (complicated) regulations.

    Needless to say, Saxony was off the books, and once again, we are back to the drawing board.

    Eventually, we landed on a (almost) round Germany trip, kicking off with Cologne, before spending the second week in Bavaria down south, with the last couple of days back in Frankfurt.

    Flight planning

    Right from the onset, the intent was to burn the long-accumulated miles on flights. After all, availability was aplenty, wasn’t it?

    Alas, the availability wasn’t as plenty as one would thought. Getting out of Singapore was easy; coming back on a VTL flight was like searching for a needle in a haystack. With the last-minute change in plans, the search became frantic: I ended up looking in another direction, and landed myself a seat on Finnair, via Helsinki.

    Not a bad thing, I thought, given that I have not tried the Finnair product before.

    Flight Reviews
    Singapore Airlines B777-300ER, Business Class, Singapore – Frankfurt
    Finnair A320, Business Class, Frankfurt – Helsinki
    Finnair A350-900, Business Class, Helsinki – Singapore

    What happened to my return leg on Singapore Airlines then? This was one helluva excursion to Singapore Airlines “world-class” service centre at Ion Orchard. Because of the change in plans, I personally spent about three mornings at Singapore Airlines’ service centre to get my tickets amended.

    While Singapore Airlines offers unlimited free change for tickets to entice people to book with them, the change experience was far from ideal. Reports from the ground was a three-hour wait time for its customer service hotline, while the queue time at the Ion service centre was not any better: anything between 4-6 hours. What complicated matter was the suspension of VTL flight tickets announced on 22 Dec for a month, leading to a surge in last-minute bookings and change request.

    Five star for branding, zero for customer service.

    Hotels

    A two-week journey means countless hotels. You will notice most of these hotels are Marriott properties, this is mostly planned to chalk up as many nights as possible in the new membership year in my pursuit for Platinum.

    The hotels we chose for this trip will be a mix of budget-friendly and mid-tier hotels, with nothing too outrageous given the travel budget constraints of the group.

    While it’s always fun to review awesome hotels, the intent is also to build and provide a little more insights to hotel options that are great value for money for those who may be starved of points and need to pay cash for accommodation.

    Hotel Reviews
    Moxy Hotel Frankfurt Airport
    Courtyard by Marriot Cologne
    Sheraton Carlton Hotel Nuremberg
    Aloft Munich
    Hilton, Frankfurt Airport
    Gekko House, Frankfurt

    Moxy Hotel, Frankfurt Airport

    Moxy Hotel, Frankfurt Airport

    Moxy Hotel is Marriott’s relatively new, budget-friendly hotel brand, with over 60 properties across North America, Europe and Asia. The hotel has come upfront to say that its rooms are tiny, but all properties also include social spaces, clearly targeting the younger travel crowd who may be budget conscious. Moxy has a cheeky vibe to it, so it will be interesting to see what the hotel can offer beyond a room.

    Courtyard by Marriott, Cologne

    Courtyard by Marriott, Cologne

    To be completely honest, I wasn’t looking forward to this property at all. This is your typically business hotel, catered for your one-night business travellers, so that also means no-frills, no-personality. In short, Courtyard doesn’t scream anything at all, so spending four nights at this property wasn’t exactly going to appeal.

    But what gives? Location and price. It was in the Old Town, minutes away from the epicentre of where the attractions are, and incredibly affordable. So four nights, here we go.

    Sheraton Carlton Hotel Nuremberg

    Nuremberg was meant to be a pit stop to fill up some time before we head to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where we had a confirmed, unchangeable hotel reservation for three nights.

    This also means the hotel here is purely perfunctory, which means location and price are both prized above everything else.

    While the Sheraton brand is arguably strong in Asia with its luxe touches and premier hospitality, the same can’t be said of its counterparts in other parts of the world. How will this stay pan out? We shall see.

    Aloft Munich

    Aloft Munich

    Aloft needs no introduction; with a tagline “A Vision of W”, you will know it’s kind of like a lesser cousin to that flashy boy who’s everyone’s favourite.

    Aloft is a select-service brand, and the Munich branch is excellently located: right across from the Munich Hauptbahnhof station. This makes the property a hot favourite for those who values location over everything else; there’s a direct train line to the airport, Marienplatz is just two S-Bahn stops away and if you are looking to do day trips, they all depart from near here.

    The best part? The hotel was offering a deal, so this only went at slightly under €100 per room, per night.

    Hilton, Frankfurt Airport

    Hilton Frankfurt Airport

    Having stayed at Moxy the first time round, we decided that we should try a property that’s at least located within walking distance from the airport itself, and settled on the Hilton Frankfurt Airport.

    The hotel is located atop the long distance train station, within The Squaire mall right across the skywalk (bridge) from Frankfurt Airport Terminal 1.

    As a diamond member, there were also some perks that came pretty convenient even as I book entry level rooms, such as free breakfast even for the second room I booked.

    The Gekko House, Frankfurt

    Gekko House

    This Tribute Portfolio property was the second Frankfurt hotel I chose to stay in, when I had a couple of last days alone in Frankfurt. Travelling alone at this stage also means twice the price for hotel stays, so I looked at value-for-money options without breaking the bank and Gekko House came up.

    Looks fun, so here we go.

    Bonus: Reindl Partenkirchen Hof

    Reindl Partenkirchen

    Reindl Partenkirchen Hof is a family-run inn in the ski resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The hotel is decked out in classic Bavarian traditional fittings, so it’s probably the closest you will get to a historic feel of what a Bavarian house feels like.

    Let the humble look of the place fool you not, this place often books out way in advance and also requires a multiple-night stay during the peak ski season. We had a chance at a booking, so let’s see how this turns out.

    Covid-19 test requirements

    All travellers to Germany over the age of 6 must be fully vaccinated to qualify for quarantine-free travel. Germany also does not require any pre-departure tests nor on-arrival tests for fully vaccinated travellers.

    However, rules within each German state may vary. All establishments within the country largely operate under one of these three rules:

    • 3G: vaccinated (German: geimpft), recovered (genesen) or tested (getestet) 
    • 2G: vaccinated or recovered
    • 2G+: 2G, plus either a booster or a valid current test

    Depending on the state you are in, most establishments currently (February 2022) have a 2G+ requirement before you may enter, including restaurants, bars, and even leisure stays in hotels.

    However, Germany is set to further relax restrictions in March, with restaurants and bars becoming 3G on 4 Mar, and subsequently dropping all restrictions from 20 Mar.

    Regardless, as with all travel, research before you go.

    Returning to Singapore, VTL travellers will now only require a pre-departure ART test taken within 2 days of departure day, as well as a supervised ART at an approved test location within 24 hours of arrival into Singapore.

    Germany has many free rapid test centres around in the city, and the results will be sent to you via email within 30 minutes of your test. These tests are valid for travel to Singapore, as long as there’s a corresponding identifier such as your passport number or date of birth on the test results along with your name.

    Free testing centre in Munich

    Final thoughts

    This trip is the first extended holiday I’ll be taking. While the itinerary as far as flights and hotels are concerned are not as fancy as I would want it to be, but this is probably a more realistic itinerary and choice for the average traveller, so it will provide a good perspective on mid-tier and budget-friendly options you might consider.

    The actual reviews will come in a while, so this page will be updated as and when the reviews are completed.

  • Singapore relaxes post-arrival swab requirements; waives tests and quarantine arrangements for recently recovered travellers

    Singapore relaxes post-arrival swab requirements; waives tests and quarantine arrangements for recently recovered travellers

    Some good news for travellers: Singapore has relaxed some inbound travel requirements, including a relaxed post-arrival testing regime, as well as exemptions for recently recovered travellers.

    Singapore health authorities have made two significant tweaks to its border health measures last week, which should make travelling slightly easier. This includes a relaxation of the post-arrival testing regime from today (24 January 2022) for travellers entering the country via the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) programme, as well as some important exemptions for travellers who have recovered from Covid-19 within the last 90 days.

    Relaxed self-testing regime from 24 January 2022

    The daily testing regime, in place since Omicron first hit Singapore in November last year, will now be replaced by self-administered antigen rapid tests (ARTs) on days travellers need to leave their accommodation. This is a significant improvement from the previous rules, including a daily swab plus two supervised tests on Days 3 and 7.

    No more supervised swabs at Quick Test Centres

    Travellers arriving on VTL flights and entering Singapore will only be required to complete an on-arrival PCR test (S$125) at Changi Airport (no change), followed by ARTs on days 2 to 7. The actual policy communication is as follow:

    “[VTL travellers] will only be required to do unsupervised self-administered ARTs from Day 2 to Day 7 of their arrivals if they need to leave their place of residence or accommodation.”

    Singapore Ministry of Health

    In addition, results from your self-administered ARTs will no longer need to be reported to MOH via the self-reporting system.

    Note that the ART kits are not provided, travellers will need to purchase and use their own kits. If you are travelling or returning to Singapore, note that you are not supposed to go out to purchase them during your self-isolation period as you wait for your PCR test results. Otherwise, these ART kits are available at most pharmacies in Singapore, or available for purchase online from marketplaces such as Shopee or Lazada.

    What if I test positive when I do my own ART?

    If you test positive from a self-swab and have minimal or no symptoms, the good news is that you can self-isolate at home and no longer need to get a PCR confirmatory test.

    Instead, you will follow Ministry of Health’s Protocol 2, as follow:

    • Go home and self-isolate immediately.
    • Stop going to work and cancel your social activities to protect others from possibly being infected with Covid-19.
    • Self-isolate for 72 hours at home or in your accommodation. This will allow you to safely recover, monitor your health and avoid spreading the virus further.
    • At the end of 72 hours, you should perform a self-administered ART.
    • You can stop self-isolation and resume normal activities when you get a negative result.
    • If you continue to test positive, continue to self-isolate and self-test daily until you obtain a negative result, or until 12pm on Day 10 for vaccinated individuals, whichever comes earlier.

    Test and quarantine exemptions for recently recovered travellers

    One other key development are for travellers who have recently recovered from Covid-19.

    Travellers who have recovered from the virus within 90 days of their last infection will be exempted from all testing and stay-home notice requirements. This includes any required Stay-Home Notices (SHN), pre-departure tests or on-arrival tests.

    Travellers will need to furnish the following, which must be in English or accompanied with an English translation:

    • A positive Covid-19 PCR test or professionally-administered ART result 7-90 days (for fully vaccinated travellers) or 14-90 days (for partially or unvaccinated travellers) before the date of departure for Singapore.
    • A discharge memo that states the traveller’s name, and at least one other personal identifier such as the date of birth or passport number corresponding exactly with the information in the passport used for entry into Singapore. It should also state the date of infection or the discharge date, which must be within 7-90 days (for fully vaccinated travellers) or 14-90 days (for partially or unvaccinated travellers) before the date of departure for Singapore. The memo must also be issued by a relevant state authority or licensed medical professional.

    This is great news because it will allow those who have recently recovered from Covid-19 to travel or return to Singapore after only 7 days, instead of the current 14 days.

    Recently recovered travellers can also return earlier than 7 days

    For people who have unfortunately contracted Covid-19 just before returning or travelling to Singapore, they may be permitted to depart for Singapore if they test negative for Covid-19 via a PCR test or professionally administered ART at least 72 hours after their initial positive diagnosis, even if it’s within the 7-day period for fully vaccinated travellers or 14-day period for partially or unvaccinated travellers.

    However, the full testing and any quarantine requirements will still apply should this group of travellers decide to return earlier.

    In any case, our recommendation is still to wait till the 7-day (or 14 days for partly or unvaccinated travellers) before travelling to Singapore.

    Final thoughts

    This turn of events is an affirmation as to how Singapore has understood Omicron and its management plans within the community.

    Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has come out to say in no uncertain terms that he expect another big wave of Omicron cases to come in the weeks ahead. Despite that, the current travel posture and the most recent changes reflects Singapore’s commitment to keep its borders open as we try to achieve an endemic state.

    The biggest news are for those who have recently recovered from Covid-19, with the waivers of all tests and quarantine requirements. This means that there is a lot more flexibility in planning for travel, as well as for those recently infected while overseas and wishing to come back to Singapore as soon as possible.

  • Earn both Qantas and Accor ALL points for your flights and stays from today

    Earn both Qantas and Accor ALL points for your flights and stays from today

    New partnership between Qantas and Accor lets you double-dip by earning points in both programmes for a single flight or stay

    In a partnership between Qantas and Accor that goes live today, Qantas Frequent Flyers and some Accor ALL members can now earn points in both programmes when they stay and spend at Accor hotels, or by taking a Qantas flight, under a new partnership between the airline and hospitality group.

    The partnership was first announced in November 2020, but the details are only made known today as the partnership takes off.

    First and foremost, members must sign up for an account (if they don’t already have one) with both Qantas Frequent Flyer (QFF) and Accor ALL, and link them, before they can double-dip on the points.

    All Qantas Frequent Flyer members can earn Qantas points on Accor hotel stays

    All QFF members, regardless of status, will earn 3 Qantas points per Australian dollar spent at Accor properties across Asia Pacific, including properties in Singapore. This is on top of what you will earn as an Accor ALL member.

    For instance, if you spend S$1,200 (about A$1,210) on a night’s stay at Raffles Hotel, that will rake in 3,630 Qantas points, on top of your usual Accor points based on your status.

    Earn Qantas points for your stays in Accor properties across Asia Pacific

    Eligible spend at the hotel includes all other expenses incurred during your stay, including restaurant meals, spa services, internet (where there’s a fee), room service and more.

    Note that the rate of earning is regardless of your status with both QFF and Accor ALL, the earn rate remains the same at 3 Qantas points per A$1 spent, without any status bonus.

    Select Accor ALL members and QFF members can also earn Accor points on Qantas flights

    However, earning Accor points for flights is only limited to elite members of both programmes. Eligible members are:

    • Qantas Platinum and Platinum One members, or
    • Accor ALL Gold, Platinum and Diamond status members

    For every A$10 eligible spend on a Qantas flight, all the above-mentioned members will earn 2 Accor points, with the exception of Accor ALL Gold members who will earn 1 Accor point. Again, this is on top of the usual Qantas points and status credits you will earn.

    ALL Platinum (and above) members will earn 2 ALL points per A$10 spent on eligible flights

    One very specific requirement in order to receive your Accor ALL points is that the flight must be marketed (carries a QF flight number) and operated by Qantas. So if you are flying Jetstar with a QF flight number, you are out of luck.

    Qantas defines eligible spend as “the price paid for the seat including fare and carrier charges, but excluding government imposed taxes or optional fees such as seats, bags, upgrades”.

    If you recall, Accor points are essentially a flat-rate rebate, every 2,000 points will net you 40 Euros that you can use to offset your hotel spend. As such, each Accor point is worth 2 Euro cent, or about 3 Singapore (or Australian) cents. This translate to an effective rebate of 0.3% for Accor Gold members or 0.6% for Qantas Platinum, Platinum One and Accor Platinum and Diamond members.

    Fast-track to Accor ALL Silver

    For QFF Gold or higher members who do not hold any status with Accor ALL, Accor is also offering a fast-track to its Silver tier for Qantas Frequent Flyers holding Gold status or above with just one stay.

    Accor ALL Silver is the first elite tier in its programme, with only some nominal perks. The only noteworthy benefits are a ‘priority welcome’ at select hotels, as well as a welcome drink and late checkout where available.

    Note that Accor ALL Silver is also given with the Accor Plus membership, so this fast track is not particularly attractive. Moreover, there are no additional fast-track for higher tiers, including Accor ALL Gold or Platinum.

    To link your membership between both programmes, you can head to either the Qantas website or Accor ALL website to do so.

    Link your accounts on Qantas website

    Of course, you must be members of both programmes in order to link them, but if you don’t have a membership with either, there will be a link to sign up along the way.

    Process flow to link accounts

    Final thoughts

    This partnership moves in the right direction for its members, by allowing an official double dipping in both programmes for either a stay or a flight. What this also does is to further encourage loyalty to both programmes, given that all other rival programmes now only allow you to credit points into a single programme at any point in time.

    Accor Pacific CEO Simon McGrath said this was a major milestone for the travel industry, enabling greater benefits for loyalty members across more than 1,200 Accor hotels, apartments and resorts in the Asia Pacific region.

    “We are joining forces to reward our customers, delivering exceptional travel benefits and unrivalled service for people who enjoy our two much-loved brands,” Mr McGrath said.

    “Our partnership with Accor launches at an ideal time, with domestic and international borders reopening and frequent flyers starting to plan and book their next getaway,” said Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth.

    While Qantas points are not as highly valued as some other frequent flyer programmes, this added bonus of earning Accor ALL points may drive up the value by a little more, especially if one travels a lot within the region. The only downside is the definition of ‘eligible flights’ for the earning of Accor ALL points on Qantas flights – for Singapore-based travellers, it would be an added incentive if Jetstar flights are also included in the programme.

  • Australia opens quarantine-free travel for Singaporeans

    Australia opens quarantine-free travel for Singaporeans

    Leisure travel to Sydney and Melbourne for Singapore citizens will be possible from 21 November

    Hot off the most recent announcements that Australia and Switzerland would be added to Singapore’s Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme, Singaporeans will be allowed to travel to select states in Australia from 21 Nov 2021, sans quarantine.

    Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced at the G20 summit that Australia will be opening its borders for vaccinated Singapore citizens.

    The initial announcement last week of Australia’s addition to the VTL scheme was with a caveat: the two-way quarantine-free travel would only apply to Australian citizens, permanent residents and their families. Reciprocal arrangements for students and business pass holders was slated to be in place from late November, while leisure travel was last in the pecking order, to only take effect in December. 

    Two-way quarantine-free travel to Australia to start in November

    While Australia has yet to announce specifics for this latest development, this is what has been reported so far:

    From 8 Nov 2021, Australian citizens, permanent residents and their families will be able to travel between Singapore and Australia with no quarantine on either side, but with Covid-19 tests instead.

    Singapore Airlines has already scheduled For Eligible Passengers Only (FEPO) flights from Singapore to Melbourne and Sydney to cater to this group. 

    From 21 Nov 2021, this arrangement will be extended to Singapore citizens, as long as they board the flight from Singapore.

    Vaccination and testing requirements

    To be able to enter Australia, travellers must fulfill the following criteria:

    • Be a Singapore citizen. PRs and employment pass holders are not eligible for the time being.
    • Being fully vaccinated with a Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved or recognised vaccine, such as Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Janssen-Cilag, Moderna, Coronavac, or Covishield, at least 7 days prior to arrival in Australia. Children under the age of 12 and those who cannot be vaccinated due to a medical condition are exempted from this requirement.
    • Presenting a valid vaccination certificate in English, i.e. either the Australian Government issued International Covid-19 Vaccination Certificate (ICVC) or a paper or digital vaccination certification issued by a national or state/provincial level authority or accredited vaccination provider. In Singapore, this means a notarised vaccination certificate.
    • Completing the Australia Travel Declaration at least 72 hours before flight departure. 
    • For travellers going to Melbourne: All travellers will need to download the Service Victoria app. This allows users to check in and display their COVID-19 vaccination status. 

    Travellers going to Australia are looking at a minimum of 3-4 tests, depending on the length of travel. Both legs of the travel (i.e. Singapore to Australia and vice versa) will require a pre-departure test and an on-arrival test.

    Test (Testing Country)Testing deadlineEstimated Price
    Pre-Departure to Australia (Singapore)72 hours before departureFrom S$128
    On-Arrival in Australia (Australia)Within 24 hoursFrom A$145
    Pre-Departure to Singapore (Australia)48 hours before departureFrom A$145
    On-Arrival in Singapore (Singapore)On arrivalS$160 (before 18 Nov)
    S$125 (18 Nov and after)

    As you can see from above, the total testing costs for travelling to Australia can easily rack up to about $550. For visitors to New South Wales who are staying for longer than a week, note that you will need a second swab on Day 7, setting you back by about another $150.

    For now, you can get more information on arriving into both New South Wales and Victoria from the respective state governments websites:

    Designated VTL flights

    Travellers from Singapore to Australia may take any direct flight from Singapore to Melbourne or Sydney. This means that travellers have a choice of Singapore Airlines, Scoot and even Qantas from late November.

    However, travellers from Australia to Singapore must take designated VTL flights. Currently, only Singapore Airlines and Scoot have announced their VTL flights. Qantas and Jetstar are expected to join the VTL list in the weeks to come, although they have yet to mention anything.

    VTL flights from Melbourne

    VTL FlightDay of OpsDepartureArrivalFlight TimeAircraft
    SQ218Daily003505157h 40mAirbus A350-900
    SQ228Daily164021207h 40mAirbus A350-900
    TR19Daily19400045(+1)8h 5mBoeing 787-9
    Melbourne-Singapore VTL schedule (8 November 2021 – 26 March 2022)

    VTL flights from Sydney

    VTL FlightDay of OpsDepartureArrivalFlight TimeAircraft
    SQ212Daily090514158h 10mAirbus A350-900 /
    Boeing 777-300ER
    SQ222Daily161021208h 10mBoeing 777-300ER /
    Airbus A380-800
    TR13Tue, Thu,
    Sat, Sun    		21450310(+1)8h 25mBoeing 787-9
    Sydney-Singapore VTL schedule (8 November 2021 – 26 March 2022)

    All remaining services are non-VTL flights, including flights on Qantas and Jetstar (for now). Passengers on non-VTL flights will be subject to the prevailing SHN requirements on arrival in Singapore. 

    Qantas has earlier announced that it is restarting its flights to Singapore (from Sydney and Melbourne) from 22 Nov 21, while its low-cost arm Jetstar will fly from Melbourne to Singapore from mid December onwards.

    Flights from other parts of Australia are not part of this plan as yet, but we expect them to join the party in due course.

    A note about Australia ETA

    While Singapore citizens do not need a visa to visit Australia, you will however need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authority or ETA.

    This can previously be done via the ETA website or through travel agents, but is now no longer possible.

    Users are instead pointed to a mobile app – AustralianETA – if they are eligible for ETA under current rules and are holders of passports from the following countries/territories: Brunei, Canada, Hong Kong (SAR of China), Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea or the United States of America.

    The app can be downloaded (free) from App Store (Apple) or Google Play store (Android).

    For more information, visit this website.

    Final thoughts

    This latest announcement is somewhat unexpected in its limitation to just Singapore citizens, but as countries move towards reopening their borders, we expect this to be an interim restriction.

    It’s definitely a move in the right direction, with leisure travel to Australia now possible, adding another option to the existing suite of destinations under the VTL scheme.

    While the testing costs may seem daunting, our view is that this should be regarded as the ‘new normal’ when planning and budgeting travel costs. In time to come as the world truly lives in an endemic manner, these costs will also naturally come down, making affordable travel possible once agian.